Printer with sheet feeding apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a printer with a sheet feeding apparatus having a printer body incorporating a printing mechanism for printing onto continuous forms. A cutter is provided close to a continuous forms discharging port on the printer case. Following the cutter downstream, there is provided a sheet feeding belt that rotates at a rate higher than the feed rate of the continuous forms. Along the belt, there are provided a sheet traversing section, a sheet direction changing section, a sheet pushing section and a sheet stacker, in that order from upstream to downstream. The sheet traversing section seizes and feeds horizontally each sheet cut by the cutter. The sheet direction changing section perpendicularly changes the feed direction of each cut sheet. The sheet pushing section pushes each sheet onto the sheet stacker where an orderly stack of sheets is formed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A printer with a sheet feeding apparatus comprising a printer case incorporating a printing mechanism for printing onto continuous forms, said printer case having a continuous forms discharging port adjacent to which a cutter is provided, said cutter being locationally followed downstream by a sheet feeding belt which rotates at a rate higher than the feed rate of said continuous forms, said belt being equipped therealong with a sheet traversing section which seizes and horizontally feeds each sheet of paper cut by said cutter from said continuous forms, a sheet direction changing section which perpendicularly changes the feed direction of said sheet, and a sheet pushing section which pushes said sheet onto a sheet stacker. 
     
     
       2. A printer with a sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet feeding belt is an endless type, is located downstream of said cutter, and rotates at a rate higher than the feed rate of said continuous forms. 
     
     
       3. A printer with a sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet traversing section comprises a flat-shaped belt guide plate which is positioned against the inner surface of said sheet feeding belt and which is located opposite to a flat-shaped pressure belt with said feeding belt positioned therebetween. 
     
     
       4. A printer with a sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet direction changing section comprises a smoothly curved belt guide plate located against the inner surface of said sheet feeding belt, the outer surface of said feeding belt having a pressure belt which is positioned opposite thereto and which is wound around two belt rollers. 
     
     
       5. A printer with a sheet feeding apparatus comprising a printer case incorporating a printing mechanism for printing onto continuous forms, said printer case having a continuous forms discharging port adjacent to which a cutter is provided, said cutter being locationally followed downstream by an endless sheet feeding belt which rotates at rate higher than the feed rate of said continuous forms, said belt being equipped therealong with a sheet traversing section which, using a pressure plate with a flat contact surface, seizes and horizontally feeds each sheet of paper cut by said cutter from said continuous forms, a sheet direction changing section which perpendicularly changes the feed direction of an edge of said sheet, and a sheet pushing section which has a pressure plate pushing said sheet against said feeding belt so as to get said sheet pushed onto a sheet stacker. 
     
     
       6. A printer with a sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said sheet traversing section comprises a flat-shaped belt guide plate which is positioned against the inner surface of said endless sheet feeding belt and which is located opposite to a flat-shaped pressure belt with said feeding belt positioned therebetween. 
     
     
       7. A printer with a sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said sheet direction changing section comprises a smoothly curved belt guide plate located against the inner surface of said endless sheet feeding belt, the outer surface of said belt having a pressure belt which is positioned opposite thereto and which is wound around two belt rollers. 
     
     
       8. A printer with a sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said sheet pushing section comprises a pressure plate positioned against said feeding belt in back of a curved belt guide plate provided in said sheet direction changing section. 
     
     
       9. A printer with a sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said cut sheet is pushed diagonally by said sheet pushing section into a space behind the last sheet of a stack of perpendicularly positioned sheets on said sheet stacker.